common ground farm apprenticeship

posted March 5, 2013

Apprenticeship Position: In 2013 we will offer one full-season field internship. The intern is looked upon as a Farmer-in-Training and is part of the entire farming process; from detail-oriented greenhouse work to planting, hand-weeding, insect control, harvesting, chasing woodchucks, washing produce, preparing and staffing farmer’s markets. Our goal is to train you by season’s in all aspects of the farm. The intern will gain agricultural skills through hands-on farm work. You will have ample opportunities to learn from experienced area farmers through workshops and tours, but by and large this is a vocational training program where you will be asked to learn by doing. You should be prepared for early mornings and working through inclement weather conditions: we work through hot, rainy, cold, and windy days. We tend to enjoy the dirt and sweat that the job offers, and we are looking for candidates who already know that this kind of working environment is for them…if you have not previously worked for extended periods of time outside, a working farm is probably not the place to experiment with that idea. We seek dependable, good-natured people with an interest in farming, education and access to food; good communication skills, an ability to take initiative, multi-tasking, an eager attitude towards learning and the desire to bring about positive community change are musts.

This is a full-time position, with a work week ranging from 40-55 hrs./week. from April 1 thru October 15.

Apprentices will participate in the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) program. This will give you the opportunity to check out other farms and meet like-minded people in the same learning situation as yourself.

Please note, in the past CGF has had a crew of apprentices. This year we are scaling back on acreage and on our crew, so there is only one apprenticeship position. The apprentice and the farm manager will be the entirety of the farm crew, helped out by dedicated volunteers and local teens. This means that the apprentice will get lots of learning experience and will also be a huge part of the success (and work load) of the farm.

About the Farm:Common Ground Farm (CGF) is a non-profit ecological vegetable farm in the Hudson River Valley of New York. In 2002 CGF was founded by members of the Beacon community who were intent on finding healthy, chemically-free, locally grown vegetables. The farm ran an active CSA for many years, but this year is scaling back to help our land regenerate. We are now growing food on 2.5 acres (and in a high tunnel) for farmer’s markets, local restaurants, food-justice programs, and food donation. We run educational programs for children and adults year-round. The farm is located on the grounds of Stonykill Environmental Education Center, a state-run demonstration farm and nature preserve of 700 acres. CGF leases 9 acres from Stonykill. We are not intensively mechanized, using a small tractor for ground preparation and some cultivation. The rest is done lovingly by hand, including planting, weeding and harvesting. We grow a diverse selection of veggies, fruits, herbs, and cut flowers. Over 50 different types are grown, including many interesting and heirloom varieties.